Eterna Revisited
by StolenGazebo
Summary: After fifteen years, the underground city of gold is rediscovered...


Starr was growing increasingly impatient with Matthew. She had been waiting for him to join her at Llantano Mountain for over a half hour now. She couldn't fathom what could be taking him so long.

"Come on, Matthew," she muttered to herself in an annoyed tone. "I'm not gonna wait all day for you, ya know? I can't stand here all day."

Starr waited another five minutes before Matthew finally arrived. When he finally showed up, she could see why it took so long for him to get there. He wasn't riding the new mountain bike that his doting grandfather bought him for Christmas, like he said he'd be doing when they first planned their "adventure" together a week earlier. Instead, he walked.

Starr placed her hands on her hip and shot an angry stare at Matthew as soon as she saw him. If looks could kill, the little boy would've been six feet under by now.

"What took you so long?" she asked, wincing at Matthew in a huge way.

Matthew shrugged his shoulders and sighed. "Home," he said, frowning slightly. "My mom wouldn't let me take the mountain bike out. She said that it'd be too dangerous and that "

"You know, you are such a momma's boy," Starr barked, rolling her eyes. "I'm surprised you came at all."

Matthew nodded his head. "It was hard," he said. "I think Mom knew something was up. She kept on asking me questions. But then she got called to work on an emergency. I snuck out after she left."

"You're so brave, Matthew," Starr murmured sarcastically before getting down to business. "Well, we better get to work."

"Why are we here anyway?" Matthew asked. "What is so special about this place? You never did tell me what this 'adventure' would be all about."

"You ask too many questions," Starr moaned.

"Is it even safe to be up here, Starr?" Matthew pondered fretfully. "My mother has always said that Llantano Mountain's a pretty dangerous place."

Starr narrowed her eyes at her apprehensive cousin and scoffed. "Don't be such a baby. We'll be just fine. I know exactly what I'm doing. Now follow me, okay?"

Matthew followed Starr like a lost puppy. "Where are we going?" he inquired as he trailed behind her along the side of the mountain.

"We're almost there. Be patient."

"But where are you taking me? Are we lost? I don't like this one bit!"

"Oh, stop being such a dweeb or no one will ever like you, Matthew. Anyway, it's right over here. Look." Starr stopped in between two large piles of rocks, where a massive, boarded-up blockade stood. She gestured towards the blockade and flashed a wide, toothy grin at Matthew. "The entrance to Eterna, the lost city of gold."

Matthew squinted, giving Starr a strange look. "You're crazy, Starr," he whispered. "There's no such thing as a lost city of gold. That kind of stuff only happens in storybooks and movies!"

"Really now?" Starr asked, cocking her head sideways to glare at Matthew disapprovingly. "Maybe you should take a look at this then. It's not a storybook. It's an old newspaper article that I found at my Aunt Viki's a few days ago."

Starr reached into the inner pocket of her coat to retrieve an old, folded up newspaper clipping. She handed it over to Matthew. His eyes widened with surprise as he began to read it.

"Cool, huh?" Starr said. "I can't believe my Aunt Viki and all those other people survived in this place for so long... and didn't come out with any gold at all! I bet it's all still down there! And look at that!" She pointed at a small opening in the barricade. "I bet we could squeeze in there."

Matthew backed away from Starr, eyeing her suspiciously. "Starr..."

"Matthew," Starr snarled, cutting him off in midsentence. "It'll only take a second. I just want to see what's down there. if we find anything, I'll split it with you. Sixty-forty."

"Is that a lot?"

Starr smirked at Matthew. "Sure is!"

Her response was enough of an incentive for Matthew to put his fears aside. The two children hiked into the darkness of the cave that lied beyond the blockade, unsure of what awaited them on the other side.


End file.
